Art & Soul Insider Newsletter September 21

ART

In this Art & Soul Insider I will share about the final element of design that is texture. Texture refers to the surface quality of a surface. We associate textures with the way that things look or feel. Everything has some type of texture. We describe things as being rough, smooth, silky, shiny, fuzzy and so on. Some things feel just as they appear; this is called real or actual texture. In artwork and photographs things look like they are rough but are actually smooth. Texture that is created to look like something it is not, for example you painted a smooth table on top of a shag rug, is called visual or implied texture. Usually when things are painted, the texture is implied but sometimes the texture can be real. How? Acrylic and oil paint can be applied with the impasto technique (thick), therefore the texture can be real. Another example of real texture in works of art, is when things are collaged (objects, paper etc. is glued upon the painting).

Below are two examples of visual, or implied, texture. The tree trunk is rough, while the stones are hard and smooth texture, yet all of this is implied texture.

Below is a drawing showing texture, and how to use values (light to dark) to create texture. Isn’t that cool?

Now we are finished the study of the Elements of Design. We have studied line, shape, colour, value, space and texture, and by some of your emails, there was some learning about these elements. The teacher in me loves that! Thanks for your emails!

Next Art & Soul Insider, we will begin the study of the Principles of Design! By knowing and using the Principles of Design, your personal art work and your viewing of other’s art work, will improve drastically.

SOUL

There are moments where our lives change and that we change other’s lives. It can be a simple thing such as a smile to a stranger, holding a door open for someone, sending someone an old fashioned note by snail mail and more. Those simple acts have the ability to alter another person’s mood or day.

 It was a regular Thursday night when we had finished dinner and I was finally putting the dishes in the dishwasher. Then all of a sudden, I heard a sound. It sounded like a kitten’s meow. I knew it wasn’t one of our two cats as it sounded younger and weaker. I went outside, on our back deck, and went searching for this call. Then lo and behold, in front of me appeared a small, young cat. I looked for a collar, but there was none on this friendly and affectionate cat. We then brought food and water out for it, and this young kitty gobbled it up like it hadn’t eaten for a long time.

Where we live there are coyotes, wolves, foxes and other predators that come out at night. I felt it was too late for this kitten to be out (on purpose) from a home (heck, it was too young to be out by itself anyways!). While we were discussing this inside, Suheel and I decided to take this young cat in for the night, to keep it safe and warm (the evenings were below freezing already). Yet when I went outside to get it, the young cat was gone. I felt sick. So I began calling for it in the “Here kitty, kitty” fashion. I also started to walk around. Well, as fate would have it, this youngster was now found meowing at my front door!!! I took it then as a sign, so, I brought the cat inside and set up the bathroom with food, water and an extra litter box we had.

The next day, I phoned for an appointment with the vet to see if it had a microchip in it, looked on Facebook to the various local Athabasca groups for a missing kitty, and posted on our mailbox a note about a “found young cat.” Well, no microchip was found, and as a week went by, there was no response to my note on the mailbox, or anyone sadly missing a young cat on FaceBook.

So now what? I knew it wasn’t going to be reality that this young kitty would stay with us…. as Suheel has long touted the saying to me, “Three cats a crazy cat lady,” when I’ve wanted another cat. But then fate stepped in (again), as Suheel shared with me that this cat came to our door twice (back and front door), and that it seemed like fate brought this young cat to our lives.

So please keep your doors open (figuratively), as you never know whose life you might change. Oh, and by the way, her name is Wailea (Why-lee-ah) and she is loved… and is home.